


How Things Are Defended

by lizznotliz



Series: How Things Are Built [4]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Asexual Character, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 20:03:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8681578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizznotliz/pseuds/lizznotliz
Summary: She's not glaring, really, but there's something behind Kara's stare that makes Maggie stand at attention. What makes it all the more disconcerting is that Kara is nothing but unfailingly nice. She's sweet and kind and almost obsessively chipper, but still she watches Maggie and Alex together like they're a puzzle to be solved.Or like she's waiting for the other shoe to drop.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so, um, the response to these fics has been kind of incredible for me. Ridiculous, really. Y'all are very kind and reading your comments has made my month, honestly. I'm so glad to know there are other people who like ace Alex like I do, and to find people who enjoy ace representation as much as I do as well. So thank you very much for all of your kind comments. I don't pluck up the courage to post my fic much, so this has been a wonderful experience.

Kara watches them, Maggie has noticed. Not that she needed to be a detective to figure that out. Kara's kind of obvious about it. 

If they're at her apartment playing games, or at Noonan's getting breakfast, or at the bar on the weekends, Kara watches them. She squints a little, head tilted, and it always reminds Maggie of that time Alex referred to her sister as a puppy. She's not glaring, really, but there's something behind Kara's stare that makes Maggie stand at attention. What makes it all the more disconcerting is that Kara is nothing but unfailingly nice. She's sweet and kind and almost obsessively chipper, but still she watches Maggie and Alex together like they're a puzzle to be solved.

Or like she's waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Kara's invited them all over for games tonight and Maggie skips out of work early to head over to her apartment. She knows Alex is knee deep in weapons inventory and will likely be a little late, which makes this the perfect time. Maggie is early, almost rudely so, but she wants to make sure that Kara's alone for this conversation. She knocks on Kara's door without trying the doorknob; Alex told her once that if Kara's door is open she's welcome to just walk right in - which was sweet, and made her feel like one of the group - but it strikes Maggie as strange and unsafe, frankly, and so she waits for Kara to open the door.

"Maggie!" Kara straightens her glasses. "I'm sorry, I thought we said seven. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, you did. I, uh, I wanted to talk to you. Everything's fine, I just want to clear the air." _Clear the air_ makes Kara frown but she steps aside and motions for Maggie to enter.

"What's up?"

Maggie takes a deep breath, buries her hands in her jacket pockets, and just launches into it: "Look, my relationship with Alex - our relationship - is our business and no one else's but I'm not unaware of the fact that you and Alex are very close and very protective of each other. And I feel like every time the two of us are around you, you're judging us. Alex told me when she came out you were supportive, and I can see that you are to her, but I get the feeling maybe you're not supportive of me. Which, y'know, whatever. You don't like me, fine, but--"

Kara's eyes are wide: "What? Maggie, _no_ \--"

"--but I don't want Alex caught in the crossfire so I wanted to come by and see if we could get this figured out. Without her around."

"You think I don't like you?" Kara sounds horrified. "I like you, of- of _course_ I like you!"

"Then what's with the staring? All the time?" Kara winces and it feels like vindication, like this hasn't just been in Maggie's head. "Is it just that you're not used to seeing Alex with a woman or...?"

"No, no, that's not it, I..." Kara pauses to gather her thoughts. "Look, you're right: your relationship is not my business. But you were also right when you said Alex and I are close and we share a lot. I am supportive of her and her coming out, and I'm supportive of you guys together, but she told me a few weeks ago... she came out again. That's how she put it." Kara smirks a little and drops her voice into something Maggie assumes is supposed to be an imitation Alex " _'Kara, I need to do this again. I have to come out to you again.'_ "

Yeah, that sounds like something Alex would say.

"She told you she was ace," Maggie guesses. Kara nods.

"It's not that I don't trust you," Kara says, and the jump in the conversation startles Maggie a little. "Getting to know you better lately has been great, and I can tell Alex thinks the world of you. It's just... I'm just..."

"You're wondering when I'll get bored, or frustrated, and break her heart."

Kara has the good graces to look embarrassed by her behavior, but there's still a set to her jaw that tells Maggie she's not ashamed enough to stop being overprotective. "She told me about the lines you guys have drawn, the ways you make each other comfortable, and I think that's great, but if you're in different places... I don't want to see her hurt. Not now or down the line."

"I'm not gonna break Alex's heart."

"You did once already," Kara counters.

"We're past that."

"Yeah, well, I was there to help pick up the pieces. Forgive me for not forgetting about it so soon."

"Kara--"

"Look, we've already established this isn't my place but--"

"I'm in love with her." Kara gapes at her. It's something Maggie has said to Alex in the dark, something Alex has hesitantly whispered back a few times, but neither of them has declared it so boldly, so confidently, and certainly not in front of anyone else. "I love her and I want her to be happy. I want her to be as happy as she makes me, which is pretty damn happy. And I'm glad she has a sister like you, one who's so concerned for her, and I get that you can't just turn that off but we're in a good place right now. I think if you asked Alex she would say the same. I understand your concerns but I'm telling you: Alex's asexuality is not a burden on our relationship. It's not going to scare me away."

Kara stares at her for a moment, then lurches forward and throws her arms around Maggie, hugging tight. Too tight, really, and Maggie grunts uncomfortably at Kara's strength. Kara pulls back, wincing, and mumbles an apology before grinning broadly at Maggie. 

"I'm sorry," she says. "I am, for all the staring and stuff, but I can't thank you enough for all that. What you said. I just... I just want Alex to be happy."

"Nobody deserves it more than Alex."

Kara tilts her head, puppy style, and nudges Maggie's shoulder with her knuckles: "So do you, Maggie. Deserve to be happy, I mean."

Maggie blushes and ducks her head. It's something she hears from Alex often enough, but coming from Alex's little sister it makes her eyes sting. Kara wasn't even sure of her a few minutes ago, but she's certain that Maggie deserves the same happiness as her sister. "Yeah, well," she says lamely. "Alex is good to me, too." Kara hugs her again, more gently this time, then nods decisively when she pulls away.

"Okay. I will try to stop being so overprotective. I'm glad you came and talked to me about this. And I'll try to stop staring."

"Just try?" Maggie teases a little. "You've been staring kind of a lot."

"Yeah, well, that was when I was worried about you respecting her physical boundaries. Now if I stare it's just because you two are so flipping cute it's ridiculous." Maggie groans and hides behind her hands as Kara giggles. "See? Look at you! You're blushing!"

"Shut up."

"I can't - have you seen you two together? It's almost disgusting how cute you are."

"Kara!"

"That voice doesn't work on me, Maggie, I have too much practice resisting it from Alex."


End file.
